Guided by the Flames - HIATUS
by Fae 206
Summary: Future Set/1st person POV. When Kuon and Kyoko go down to Kyoto to celebrate their wedding anniversary, Kuon meets a fairy who has often been jealous due to his own love of Kyoko. When the fairy chooses to curse Kuon, he turns the popular actor into a dragon. Can Kyoko protect Kuon whilst also discovering the secret to the fairy? - A lot of KuonXKyoko love and fluff -
1. Chapter 1 - Our Love

**AN: **I'm trying to create a schedule so I can regularly update my fics. With school and work weighing me down I'm not sure how possible it is for timely updates but I'm going to try. I hope that you enjoy yet another Skip Beat fic, my favorite trope in stories are people turning/or getting cursed into being animals. I hope you enjoy this.

**Guided By the Flames**

**Chapter One – Our Love**

I don't know what she is so worried about. Kyoko knew that I wanted to move to America years ago to start my acting career but living in Japan and taking international trips has been better for both of us. In this way we _both_ get to live our dreams. I know that when I tell her that I have international shoots that might be for a few months, she wants to hold onto me and spoil me as much as possible.

That's why I wanted to take a long Japanese drama this time. So what if Taira Murasame is living in America and a C-ranked actor, I've been nominated for some major awards and I live in Japan but just work for a quarter of the year in America. I couldn't be happier. However, right now I'm trying to figure out what I want to talk to Kyoko about.

We're about to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary and as a gift I bought her a decent sized house in this part of Kyoto, our part of Kyoto. As I hear the leaves crunch under my feet from the fresh rain, as I look up at the trees surrounding me, feel the cool breeze wrap around my body I start to feel whole. This forest – which Kyoko has dubbed 'Corn's forest' – matters a lot to me which is why I purchased the property deed to it.

As I hear my phone ring, I take another deep breath and pull it out knowing that the tone is Kyoko's. She's most likely worried about my eating habits, it feels around the time most people get hungry. I am about to answer it when I feel a sharp pain in my arm. I can usually withstand pain but something about the sharp shock is making this particular pain unbearable.

I grab to my wrist. Did I injure it on set or something? As I'm checking it over I hear a rush of wind before me and see someone materialize themselves from a clump of leaves. I don't understand this. I see the pair of wings on their back. A fairy? All of this time Kyoko was right and fairies do exist? I feel like I'm in some strange dream or on a hallucinogen. Fairies _do_ exist!? My eyes are wide and I feel completely speechless.

"Hi?" I ask not knowing what else to say.

"Why hello there _prince Corn_," the fairy says mockingly and I rub my back with a nervous laugh. Maybe I should never have said that I was the prince of fairyland but it was an innocent untruth that a ten year old told a small girl in order to help her feel better. I get the idea that they are angry about that lie.

"Sorry about that," I laugh weakly but I meet their glare and manage to use a more serious tone. "I'm sorry," I apologize in a genuine way. "If I had known that the fairy kind was real then I would never have been so presumptuous. I do apologize about that," I tell him and the fairies eyes widen.

"Give me Kyoko," he tells me and I hold back a sound of shock, I try to take a few calming breaths.

"I'm sorry," I apologize not sure what to do next. I've stood up against many _men_ before but nobody like this. "She is the one person that I can never give to anyone. She is the woman who I love. I'm sorry but I can't honor that request."

"You can _honor_ whatever request I make," the fairy tells me and I look at him in complete shock. With just a hand gesture, he throws my body onto a pile of leaves like I'm a discarded toy or rag doll. I try to stand but he twists his hand and it seems to twist my body as well. "You really thought that you could remain a prince."

Pain. I've never felt pain like this before. It's unnatural but then it _should_ feel unnatural. I'm face to face with a guy with wings. I try to struggle through the pain but he twists and contorts my body even more with just the use of magic. This isn't fair. I might be one of the strongest and most athletic men in the world – outside of professional athletes who train solely on their craft for years – but even I'm a pathetically weak mortal compared to those with powers. As much as I try to focus, I can't do anything and then I feel more pain as if my heart has burst open and the wet feeling of blood coats my insides.

"Sleep now," the fairy says as I fight against consciousness, "You'll need all the energy that you can muster when you wake up." I don't know what he means by that but somehow I'm still alive. The agony is brutal but somehow I'm still….I fall into the blackness as my body feels completely frozen. Kyoko. Have to get to Kyoko.

…

…

I really hope that Kuon isn't purposefully running away at dinner time. I've always tried to make his sizes smaller than mine and more manageable. I take a deep breath as I push my fingers through my long chestnut hair. Kuon doesn't really care about how I choose to look, he's supportive no matter what. I'm worrying too much. He's always supported me and maybe he just needed to silence the demons in his own head.

I try to think about happier things as I stir the soup and then hear the door open. I turn and run towards him, wiping my hands on my apron. Kuon – unlike Shotaro – always returns to me. He shows me so much love and understanding and even when I'm acting like a child, he will comfort me and support me unconditionally. I run to him and see a troubled look on his face.

"Corn?" I ask as I tilt my head to the side, "Welcome home," I tell him. Something doesn't seem quite right about him. I don't know what it is but it's as if there's some type of feeling that I don't understand. Something about his posture, some slight deviation on how he usually stands. No. I'm just worried and being paranoid but it most likely means that something is at least troubling him.

He gives me a small smile and turns to look at me in the eyes, he then walks forward silently and pulls me close to his body before giving a relieved sigh. Something must have happened. "I'm home," he tells me and I nod slowly. Well, this is just one of our homes.

"Are you feeling okay?" I laugh weakly. His eyes don't look the same. There's a type of possessiveness in them. Shotaro isn't visiting his parents, is he? They didn't happen to run into one another whilst he was coming back? That's one of the things that Kuon doesn't like when we're so close to Corn's forest, we're practically neighbors with the Fuwas. "Dinner is nearly ready. Did you manage to accomplish what you wanted with your walk."

Kuon laughs weakly before rubbing the back of his neck. "Dinner's nearly ready. I'm sure that your food is amazing."

I pause and turn to him, nodding slowly. Did he hit his head somewhere on his way back? I don't see any injuries. He's 'sure my food is amazing'. He's talking as if he hasn't eaten it before. We might eat out a few times a week but I cook for him often. I stare at him before noticing that he's not wearing his chain. It's a chain that he's worn nearly every day that I've known him. It was the trademark piece of Ren Tsuruga and a gift from Father and yet he's not wearing it right now.

"You didn't strain your neck, did you?" I ask him and he turns to me and blinks. I rub the side of my neck wondering if he took the chain off and didn't realize. It would be a strange occurrence if he did but if he pulled his neck or brushed against something then sometimes he does remove it.

"My neck is fine," he tells me before looking at me confused and I laugh.

"Where is it?" I ask before putting a hand over my throat. He stares at me and then runs a hand across his neck not seeming to realize that his chain is gone. I nod slowly, eyeing him cautiously. Something doesn't seem _right_ about this but no, I'd be losing my mind to say that this isn't Kuon. It's not as if Kuon has a twin that I don't know about. "Never mind," I shake my head. Maybe he's just tired and he doesn't know what I'm referring to.

"So, you said that dinner was nearly ready?" he asks as he seems to be attempting to look into the kitchen. He licks his lips with a hum and something feels out of place. No. He must have just had a hard day and I must just be paranoid. I nod slowly before turning back to the kitchen.

"Go wash up and I'll bring it to the dining room," I tell him and he seems to be looking around for something.

"Wash up in the bathroom?" he asks and I raise an eyebrow. Okay. Maybe he's sick. I've dealt with Kuon when he's had a cold before and sometimes he really loses it. It was raining, maybe his head is a little cloudy.

I laugh, "Yeah. I mean, you usually do, you usually change your clothes too. You tell me that you want to make sur that you're presentable instead of that you've been walking around in the forest." He nods slowly before gesturing to where we have the home offices.

"Yeah, just…just get changed," he tells me and I look at him confused. Why is he wanting to get changed in there? I nod slowly and walk away. I'll question him about how he's feeling later. I'll also read up on any viruses going around. He usually has such a strong immune system but he can get taken down by a cold or the flu maybe once a year for a few days. I go back to preparing the soup.

…

…

I'm finding it hard to breathe. I have something caught over my mouth and nose. It's making it hard for me to open it but…I pause, is it really possible for a person to get anything stuck over their nose and mouth, maybe something sticky but this feels like a circle, some rope maybe, a muzzle? I don't understand but as I open my eyes I realize that the forest seems different, a lot bigger in some ways but then that's most likely because I was pushed into a pile of leaves by a fairy which I never knew existed.

Okay. I just have to keep calm. Calm is something that I'm not feeling right now. Exhausted. Tired. Stunned. Bewildered. Those are all things that I'm feeling. I just need to get home, get into some different clothes, talk things out with Kyoko. I try to take another deep breath in but feel the item still over my mouth. I need to remove it.

I try to reach my hand out but it seems different as if tucked in closer to my body and I look ahead of me, the colors around me seem different, in some parts they appear more muted but others are more vibrant. I then stare straight ahead of me where there is something similar to a crocodile mouth but with a more rounded feel to the end. It's wider as well.

Am I wearing a mask? Did he put a mask on my face. I see that my chain is caught over the end of the mask. So that's what is causing me to feel the breaths caught in my chest. I stretch my hand out to take the item off but my eyes widen as I look at what is in front of me, an emerald claw and scales with flecks of gold on them. What? I move the arm up and down before clenching and unclenching the claws.

A glove maybe? A costume? I look at my other hand and see that the gold of my wedding band is over one of the claws. Would someone go so far with these details? I need to get this costume off. It feels warm but tight in my body. I just need to go home and explain to Kyoko what happened. I just need to get to my feet. I try to push myself up but struggle. My belly feels huge and something has happened to my spine. No. I just need to get to my….I try to push myself up but the gloves have made it almost futile to even try.

I grab to one of my hands and tug but all I feel is a sharp pain as the claws go under the scales. It won't come on. They must be glued to my arms somehow. I just have to get up somehow. I try to push my heels into the ground, if I can get enough momentum, I can spring up from a squat. I feel something attached to my backside and turn around to see a long scaly tail with different colored shards behind me. As the moon bounces off of them, I can see some of the emerald scales looking like a burned sienna.

My eyes widen and I manage to get the chain off of the nose of the mask. I feel myself panicking. Something is wrong. Something doesn't feel right about any of this. I take a deep breath in but it doesn't have the calming effect that I was looking for. I feel something digging into my back and maybe that is what is weighing me down. It's an even distribution of weight but it's digging into my spine.

Okay, if I can't walk then maybe I can crawl. I push my legs into the ground and find them to be set wider apart than usual. This is too strange. This is far too strange and my gut is sinking to my stomach. I manage to crawl forwards to the lake where Kyoko and I often spent time together. I look into it as if I'm meant to. The water is drawing me to it. I feel a heat in my mouth with a slightly burning taste and as I turn to the water, I freeze.

Staring back at me is a gold and emerald dragon the type that you often see in the fairytales that Kyoko loves. I look around before trying to grab onto a zip of the costume or the head, the head is huge so mine must be in here somewhere. I try to wrestle it off but all I feel is constant pain. I lift my hand and the dragon's front leg lifts. I move my head from side to side and the dragon moves their head.

I have to see how this is attached to me. I move my body from side to side as if to see where the zips are, where the buttons are. I move more and more wildly. I have to get this thing off of me. I can't see where It ope- SPLASH.

I open my eyes to find myself under water but the huge costume is still on me. I try to shake it off but all that happens is that my body is shaking. I open my eyes and the water seems different, much clearer than usual even for me. I gasp in shock at how different it is and my eyes widen, if I don't get out of the lake now then I'm going to drown. I have to move with this heavy costume on, I've got no other choice.

As I struggle it suddenly dawns on me that I'm not feeling a loss of oxygen. It feels as if I could stay down here forever. I try to move forwards and my legs seem to feel more natural at swimming across the bottom of the lake. What happened? It suddenly dawns on me. I met a magical fairy and he must have cursed me to take on this appearance. My heart seems to both break and beat faster at the same time.

Kyoko.

Will she see me like this? Will she know it's me? I try to speak and say words but only growls come out. She wouldn't be able to understand me. I'm doomed. She wouldn't know it was me, people don't even believe that dragons exist. I look around and see that there is a large cavern at the other side of the lake as if created just for me. I swim over there. I have to think of a plan. I _have _to get my old body back.

…

…

_Would you mind if I had a second second helping? _

Those words prove to me that something is wrong. I am happy that Kuon seemed to enjoy my cooking but he's never come back to it twice. I really wonder whether his stomach is okay. He seems so different tonight. I've decided to take a walk through the forest. I hope he hasn't dropped his chain, it's very important to him. I sigh, I wouldn't be able to spot it anyway at this hour. It's so dark and it's most likely buried in a pile of leaves.

I frown and bow my head as I take in the brisk January weather. Something was very wrong with Kuon tonight, anyone could see that. Kuon doesn't really care too much for eating although he will compliment my food. To eat not only one bowl but three bowls is strange and alien to me but he didn't seem to understand why. More than that, he had his tea with milk and sugar and not just the normal amount, he had _extra_ sugar.

As I come nearer to the lake, I see something glittering on the floor and bend down, getting my pants a little dirty as I pick up the chain. I turn it in my hand, it's a little damaged as if discarded so casually. Strange. Kuon really cares about this particular item. I look up at the sky wondering what happened to him and then hear something swimming in the water.

I grab my phone and use the light option and it terrifies me what I'm seeing. Coming out of the water is something that shouldn't exist, a dragon, the type of dragons that you see in Disney movies like Sleeping Beauty but this one seems considerably smaller.

As the dragon swims to the surface, I see the panic on its expression and it pulls back. The gold colored scales almost look like the same gold as Kuon's hair and the fact that there are emerald details that are the same color as Kuon's eyes makes me panic even more. I scream and the dragon backs away from me. It swims to the bank and I'm shaking. I wrap an arm around myself, please don't charge, please don't charge, I'm too young to die.

The dragon is just studying me. It must be the emerald and golden scales making me think this but the dragon acts surprisingly similar to Kuon. It looks cute and I feel a connection to the creature. It's not charging at me. I try to take a step back and the dragon snorts with disappointment, a little hot air appearing from its nose. The dragon is just watching me and something inside of me is willing me to go near the beast. As I approach slowly, the dragon looks wildly from side to side and backs up, making small whines of fear. It's really cute. Something inside of me keeps thinking that.

My eyes widen as I see something on the dragon's foot. It's almost as if it's burned into the scales but I would know that custom wedding ring anywhere. The dragon makes a strange moaning noise as it seems terrified of me. Knowing that it could lead to the loss of a limb but having the belief that it wouldn't, I pick up the dragons foot and let my finger go onto the gold ring. It's definitely Kuon's and it appears fused to that toe as if burned onto it. The dragon whines again and starts to back away from me.

It starts to rain and a flash of lightning appears in the sky but that scares me even more. As the dragon looks up at me with its head lowered in fear, I see the exact shade of Kuon's emerald eyes flash to a burnt sienna as the dragon stares at me. I freeze. Something inside of me is telling me that this dragon is the real Kuon but that doesn't make any sense.

I put my hand on the dragon's head as my eyes widen, "Kuon?" I whisper as I feel the fear rushing through me. The dragon nods slowly and I can't breathe. I don't understand this. The dragon growls making the sort of whine that a large dog might.

"Waw-ow-ow" the dragon says before his expression turns to one of shock and he pushes his head against the side of my body affectionately before getting into the water and swimming away quickly. What just happened here? Why did he run? I would have told him that I still love him and we'll find a way to break this curse together.

I am about to say that but hear a noise behind me.

"God, Kyoko," Kuon's human body says and I turn to look quickly at the lake before gathering my acting skill. I have to protect Kuon. I have to leave him and come back tomorrow and hope that he's okay. "I was worried about you. It's raining. You're going to slip and hurt yourself, who knows what type of dangers are in here."

"Sorry, I just felt like taking a walk. It was a silly idea," I reply trying to not look at the lake but needing to make sure that the dragon Kuon is okay. I have to draw attention away from the water. I don't know who this imposter is but he's a threat to the one I love, I know that much. I can't let him find out where he is. "Let's go back. I'll make you some more food."

"You'll make me some more food?" the fake Kuon asks and I nod. I don't have anything that I can use for this meal but there are drugs that I can put into the food. I look back at the lake unable to not take even one quick glance. Stay calm my love, stay safe, I'll rescue you.

**End of Chapter One**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	2. Chapter 2 - Daddy's Here

**AN: **Even though there hasn't been much interest for this fic, I wanted to write the second chapter. Hopefully I get to write more other fics soon.

**Chapter Two – Daddy's Here**

Kuon is a dragon. Kuon is a golden dragon with a tail, horns, and a snout. There is a strange man in the bed next to me in my husband's body and although I don't think his plan is sinister, how do I know that. He had the ability to turn Kuon into a dragon and then steal his body. If I had been some plain, boring woman who didn't know Kuon better than myself, I might have been fooled by this.

I stand up, I don't want to be near whoever this person is, not when I know that it isn't really Kuon. I take a few weak steps to the mirror and look at myself. I really have grown up to be beautiful and if it wasn't for Kuon, I wouldn't have faith in that but…this man who has this gorgeous body right now, I don't even know what he really looks like.

The more I watch him, the more I see the clues that he's _not_ Kuon, the more I want to go back and see dragon-Kuon. He must be terrified right now. I have to think of a way to save him or at least protect him. Kuon owns the land of the forest. He could stop people from entering if he wanted, it's within his legal rights but _this_ Kuon would be suspicious if I did that. He most likely already knows about Kuon's new form.

I don't know what to do. The only thing that I really want to do right now is go back to the forest and make sure that he's already and that nobody has a chance of hurting him. A lot of people would think that a dragon, especially one with golden scales like Kuon has, would be quite valuable or they might think it would improve their business to behead him and then cook him.

I shiver as I wrap my arms around myself. I really hope he's hidden. I don't know if I could remain sane were I to walk into a restaurant and see his head mounted on someone's wall, dragon or not dragon. I have to help him at least making sure that he has food and shelter. I see the fake Kuon waking up, This fake Kuon seems to like sweet things, and not understand that that is a really big clue that something is wrong with him.

"Hi, sweetheart," I tell him as I let myself act the role that I always take with him. "I didn't mean to wake you, are you feeling okay?"

"Better now I see your face," he says. He grabs my chin before I can pull back and kisses me. As much as I know that these are his lip, the kiss is completely different. There's a mad craving in it, the force is someone who wants to kiss me even if I don't agree to it. When Kuon kisses me, I feel an unconditional love. This kiss leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

"Let me make you some cocoa," I tell him before pulling back and he grins. I want to smack that smile off of his face but I know I have to act natural. As I go to the kitchen to get the ingredients out, which Kuon keeps stocked for me knowing how much I like this expensive hot chocolate, I look into the fridge and my eyes catch onto the bag of raw steak still with blood on them.

I bought these steaks when I was planning on spreading out hamburger steak with fried egg for us over a couple of days. They are perfect for a dragon, right? Am I thinking too much? I mix the chocolate powder with the milk and add some sugar. I grab a sleeping pill and crush it up before adding it to the drink. Hopefully this will keep him asleep for a number of hours.

I go back to the room and give it to him not wanting him to see how disgusted I am by what is happening. "I hope you enjoy it, Corn," I grin and he takes the mug and drinks from it. I sit on the bed waiting and hoping that there is some way of getting those steaks to the real Kuon.

xoxoxo

I'm scared. I have never been so scared in my entire life. I actually, surprisingly, managed to go to sleep in this form with my tail wrapped around me and I was hoping that I would wake up and be right next to Kyoko in our bed. It didn't happen that way. Every time I hear footsteps, I hide away even if it's an animal who wouldn't be able to tell anyone about my existence. It's not normal for a dragon to exist.

I try to curl up tighter as I hear more footsteps and they stop at the lake. I close my eyes tighter. I don't want them to find me. I don't want somebody to kill me or trap me and people wouldn't leave me alone. They'd experiment on me. They might even try to eat me.

I freeze as I hear a familiar voice from above the water and shiver. It's her voice.

"Kuon?" she asks in a voice just loud enough for me to hear. "Sweetheart?" she says and I see she's wearing a long hooded coat and boats, both designer but actually practical. She has her long hair tied back in a ponytail. "Sweetheart, are you down there?" she asks.

I nervously swim to the other side of the lake, I've become used to swimming in this form but I'm still terrified to see her. She puts a hand over her mouth as she sees me and I feel scared. Has she come here to tell me that she never wants to see me again?

"Corn," she whispers and I feel the shudder through me. I'm just some dragon. That fairy has taken the identity of Corn. I see her stand and untie her boots. "If you're not coming closer then I'm just going to join you," she announces. I panic and look around before shaking my head and give a low growl, arguing with her. "Are you going to come over here, sweetheart?" she asks as she shivers hopefully I won't scare her again.

I get down in the water and swim up to her. I look around nervously as I step onto the dirt. She sobs again before rushing over to me and throws her arms around my wider and rounder neck. "I'm sorry that I couldn't come sooner," she apologizes. "You must have been so scared tonight."

I look up at her, 'Kyoko' I try but all that comes out are those dog like whines. She puts a hand on the top of my head next to my horn. She is crying but she reaches behind her to a garbage bag that I hadn't noticed before.

"I'll break the curse, I promise," she tells me before pulling something out of the bag. She's still crying and her hand moves down to my snout. "I brought you something. I don't really know what…what dragons eat so…so I tried my best," she tells me before crying even more. I watch her and then rub her chest with my head. It just makes her sob more and I take a few steps back.

Is she scared of me? I don't want for her to be scared of me. I turn to look back at the water again, maybe it was a bad idea to come out but I didn't want for her to come in. Without realizing it, I make a sad whine to show my distress. I feel her put her hand on the side of my snout and guide my head so that I'm looking at her again.

"It's okay. I'm right here," she tells me before I smell something that is worryingly appetizing to me. I crawl along and see some bloody raw steaks put out on brown paper. Kobe beef? I look at her and she tries to hide another sob as she watches me. "It's okay, Corn," she tells me as I sniff the steaks. "You can eat them. I brought them for you to eat."

I reach out to poke one with one of my long claws but find that ripping it open with my teeth is easier for me. I turn back to her, watching her cautiously as I realize that I have blood over my snout. I look between her and the steaks waiting for her reaction. I don't know how else to eat and now I'm realizing my body is at least twice as big as her own.

"Should I leave the rest for you?" she asks before standing and takes something else out of the bag, a cloth. She goes to the lake as I watch her nervously. Is she going to leave? "You've got some blood here," she says as she wipes my mouth and I know she's feeling the scales covering my body. I stare at her with widened eyes as she sobs again. I feel terrible as I watch her. I don't know what I did to deserve this but the worst part is seeing how upset _she_ is.

I move back over to the bag and pick another steak up with my teeth, I nervously look at her before tossing the food back so I can catch it in my mouth. She smiles as she watches me do this and I do it two more times until all four of the steaks are in my belly. She grabs the cloth again and starts to clean my mouth and jaw. I bow my head and close my eyes but she just brings her forehead against mine.

"I love you no matter what," she tells me and I know she can feel my scales on her face. "I have to go now but I promise you that I'll come back as soon as I'm able to. Keep safe, okay?" she asks me and I whine before nodding. It's not as if I can communicate with her. "I love you, Corn," she tells me and I give a whine too.

"Wooow oo" I manage to get out which is the closest that I can do. I head back to the water and give her a last sad look as I get in and swim to the bottom and back to my cave. I sound like a much scarier Scooby Doo. Kyoko stays by the water edge a little longer before standing and leaving. I really want to make sure that she's okay but being spotted by the public when I can't explain myself is dangerous to me. At least if that fairy asshole doesn't know that she knows about me, about this curse, then she can stay safe.

I really really suck as her husband.

…

…

I feel terrified that the fake Corn is going on a walk. I feel more nervous that he told me that he wanted to go by himself and I hope he's not going after my husband, the real Corn. I even put a small tracking device on him and he went into town it seems. I'm fine with him shopping for right now. Anything that causes hesitation on Kuon's career can be corrected but I can't bring him back to life.

I pace the room, having called out of work with a lot of apologies, and despite the time difference, I am on the phone with Father. He didn't answer my first call and so I left him a voicemail. This can be called an emergency, right? I feel myself about to hyperventilate since Father must be working right now. He told me that if either of us needed his help desperately that we could call him even if he was working.

I am about to lose my breath when I hear the phone get picked up.

"Kyo-" he begins to speak but I cut him off.

"Father something really bad has happened to Kuon! We need you as soon a-" I'm starting to hyperventilate as I hear Kuu freeze, his voice turns very serious.

"Kyoko. What happened?" he says in a very direct manner. "Is Kuon alive? Does he need medical attention? Do you need money? Does somebody have him?" he asks and I don't know what Kuu is imagining happened but the truth is even more unbelievable. "Can you tell me?"

"Kuon is…" I take a deep breath in and bow my head, "Father, you know that I would never lie to you when it concerns something serious happening to Kuon." I know how important Kuon is to him. It's not like a normal parent's love, Kuu has such dedication to Kuon and despite this being completely absurd maybe Father will believe me. "Cursed."

"What do you mean he's cursed?" Father asks and I can hear the bewilderment in his voice. "He's in trouble isn't he? Are you saying that he's -"

"He got turned into a dragon. He's in a lot of danger. We're in Kyoto," I tell him and Father pauses. I know he's in shock. He probably thinks that I've completely lost my mind. I feel like I've lost my mind. "I know that it doesn't sound…right…but I wouldn't call you if Kuon didn't need you."

"You're in Kyoto?" Father asks. "Corn's forest, correct?"

I give a sob of relief. Is he saying that he'll come? I nod before realizing that he won't be able to see me nod. I smile weakly. "Thank you," I whisper. Father would protect Kuon with his life. I can't see him turning his son away because he became a dragon.

…

…

She hasn't come back. She said that she would come back. Am I being selfish or does it mean that she can't come back. I smell meat, this time it's been cooked in some kind of delicious smelling rub and it seems burned. The burning smell brings a desire to my chest but it might be a trap. I look up, I see that there are men's shoes, blond hair. It's him isn't it? I freeze as I hear a person speaking in English. Is this a trap? They want to hurt me. I don't think I could kill anyone even in this form where I could probably physically kill them.

"Kuon?" I hear the voice is gentle. Is this a trap, another part of a spell or the curse? Are they going to take away my mind as well? I swim close enough to the land to be able to look up but not so close as for them to see me and I blink nervously. I'm terrified. Standing next to some meat is someone who looks just like Dad.

I swim to where I would be a far enough distance to run away if this really isn't Dad. I look at him, my heart is beating painfully in my chest and he stands there, blinking in shock before trying to smile. I can hear his heart beating from here.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he tells me and I cautiously move forwards, I sniff the meat and make a weak whining sound. I see Dad nervously breathing out in a slightly nervous or scared manner. I bow my head trying to ask permission to come forwards. "Daddy's here," he tells me and I move towards him. I whine again, showing my own fear but I get to him and stand in front of him with my head bowed. I don't want to seem threatening to him.

Dad kneels down opposite me and puts a hand on my snout, making sure to maintain eye contact with me. "Kuon?" he asks and I nod. He gently lets his hand run back over my snout and to my head, petting me as you would do with a large animal like a tiger or lion. "Kyoko told me about this. I've gotten in contact with someone who has a barn in this area. It will be warmer for you and safer." I look around, did he tell other people about me?

'Dad' I try but all that comes out is a low whine that a larger puppy might make.

"_He_ doesn't know that I'm here yet. Only Kyoko knows that I'm actually in Japan right now. I want to do all I can to keep you safe until we learn what to do about this, how to break this curse." Dad gently rubs the top of my head and I look at him before looking around him at the meat. "Go ahead," he gestures and I move past him to the meat. He keeps his hand on my back protectively. "Whoever did this to you, they will be punished."

I look to Dad feeling protective and push my head against the side of his body. I don't want for him to get hurt.

"It's that damn fairy blood," Dad says and I look at him shocked. What did he just say?

**End of Chapter Two**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated **


	3. Chapter 3 - A Pet Dragon

**AN: **Wow, I'm trying to get over my coffee addiction but it has just led to anxiety. I've heard that eventually you get over this stage but for someone who already has anxiety it sucks. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter Three – A Pet Dragon**

I feel even more nervous right now because I don't know where Kuon is, the real Kuon. I know where the fake Kuon is who hopefully can't be able to sense where the dragon Kuon is. I have put some snacks in the cupboard as well as left some hot cocoa out. I don't know how much research this faker has done but if I can catch him eating this stuff then that will just remind me that he's not really Kuon. I look down at my phone. It's dangerous to call Father even to check on Kuon but I feel at a complete loss without him here.

"What are you thinking about?" the fake Kuon says as he wraps his arms around me and I feel sickened that he even touched me. I didn't ask for this and I wish my husband had his arms around me. I take a deep breath in before turning to the fake Kuon with a strained smile.

"Hi," I tell him trying to use my acting skills as I remember how Ren's false smile used to be, "I was thinking about what to make for dinner." I sigh before looking away. "How did acting go for you today?"

The false Kuon shakes his head with an annoyed sigh, he takes a few steps away from me and goes to look out of the window with his palms face down on the counter top. I see him looking at his reflection in the window and I take deep breaths. "You'd think the director an idiot. He asked me to redo the scene so many times, it was exhausting. I can't believe that his ego is that big. I mean, I'm an actor right, I get paid to show up and look pretty and smile.

I take a deep breath in. If I knew that this being wasn't willing and ready to harm the actual Kuon, the man that I truly love with my whole being, then I might correct him in that horrible misconception of actors. No. There's a lot more than to look pretty and Kuon is an amazing actor because he understands that. That's why so many people get excited about working with him.

"Yes, they don't understand how much work you already put in," I tell him before going to the stove. I have some stronger sleeping pills today, hopefully he won't be able to sense them because I want to sneak out and if I can't see Kuon then at least I'd be able to call Father and check that everything is going okay.

"I really want to eat meat, you can make meat sweet, right?" he asks and I blink. I know that in Canada they have candied bacon but I don't have any bacon. I could probably make some with the steaks that I bought today but those were bought with Kuon in mind. I don't know much about the appetite that dragons have but he seemed to like the steaks that I brought him before.

"I could make the broth a little sweeter tonight and how about some sweet tamagoyaki as well," I suggest. I close my eyes and turn back to the stove. Yes, Kuon would never ask that question. Kuon definitely prefers his food to be more savory in taste than sweet. I wonder if I should cook the steak for him but he seemed to enjoy it when raw. I'm not going to claim to know the ins and outs of feeding a dragon.

I wish that I wasn't here. I would rather be with Kuon in the form of a dragon rather than this being who stole his body. This isn't a dragon in a human body, is it? He has to have been a person originally, maybe a wizard or something. He catches me watching him and raises an eyebrow.

"You keep staring at me," he tells me and I look away. I put some meat into a pan and start to gather the ingredients for the sweeter broth.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am to be in love with you," I tell him trying to hide the fact that I know what is happening and it scares me and I don't know why this creep won't leave me alone. He's _not_ Kuon, that much is more than obvious. What does he hold against Kuon anyway? Why is he spending so much time from me? I don't know what he wants from me.

"No. I'm the lucky one to be able to love you," he tells me before kissing my cheek and I have to try my hardest not to flinch and lean into the kiss. I don't want anyone to kiss me but the real Kuon. I don't know how to explain that. I know that for Kuon's safety, I shouldn't, it would only put him in danger. I just hope that Father keeps him safe.

…

…

Dad leads me to an area with a large barn. He's taken me down trails that I didn't know existed and therefore nobody would be able to spot us. He walks to the side before picking up a piece of rope and I turn my head to the side. What is he going to do with that? He comes over to me and looks at me very sadly before holding the rope up.

"Kuon, I need to apologize to you before we go any further," he tells me and I look at him very confused. I give a low murmur almost like a whine as I study him. Is he going to tell me that he's leading me in the wrong direction and we're going to be heading into some kind of a trap? Is he going to leave me and tell me I'm not his son? "I need to hide the fact that you're my son," he says and I pause. He doesn't want me to be his kid any longer? "I hate to ask this of you but I need to call you my pet and treat you as one. It's for your own protection."

I blink at him and look down. The word pet hits me very strongly but then so do the words, ask this of you, treat you as, own protection. Those don't seem like the words of someone who sees me as an animal.

"I love you," Dad tries to reassure me, "You _are _my son and I hate that I have to ask this of you. When we're alone later on, I'll treat you like my precious son but right now I need for you to trust me." I listen to him before nodding. I close my eyes and lower my head as I feel a loop of rope around my neck. I feel Dad tighten it to the point where he has control but not where I will be hurt by it. "Is that okay?" he asks as he placed a hand near my horn and I nod. It doesn't hurt. "One more," Dad says and this time he's bound my jaw and snout. He runs his hand down it trying to soothe me and it's working. "Thank you," Dad tells me and I can see in his eyes that he still views me as his child despite my form.

Dad leads me to the outside of a tavern near a gigantic barn that looks like it could be a sports arena. What is that? How is it hidden out here? I tense. Are there going to be a lot of people who see me this way. "I'll be right back," Dad tries to reassure me and I let out another unintended whine. Dad wraps his arm around my neck in an embrace and I settle down in the shadows.

It doesn't take long before Dad comes back with a man who I've seen photographs of. I think they are related to us but not close enough for me to have met them. Dad walks over to me and as the other man nears me, Dad winks and nods telling me that he's going to start acting.

"He really is a beauty, Kuu. I think that you'd be able to sell him for a lot of money, maybe shave off some of those scales and sell them."

"Yeah," Dad says, "He would definitely fetch a high price but he's kind of a nervous thing, very shy and reserved. I wouldn't want to sell him to the wrong person."

"You whipped him yet?" the man asked, "Sometimes dragons need a bit of whipping to be able to get out of that scared and nervous state."

Dad takes a slow breath and shakes his head, "I can't do that to him. If he hides away then I'll never be able to sell him. Actually this one I don't think I will sell."

The other man sighs before walking over to me, checking me. He pushes my back down, patting me as you might with a horse. He gets on top of my back and I can feel his weight. Dad immediately puts a hand on the side of my head trying to calm me down and ease some of the pain. "Yeah, definitely a rider when he develops his wings. He's a baby, ain't he?"

"Yes. He's a young one for sure," Dad says. "Still needs to go through the training phase. However, since I only just gained ownership over him, we need a place to stay for the night."

"It'll cost you," the man says with a grin and then gets off of me. He puts a hand on one of my wings and starts to tug it. It hurts. I give a sad whine and Dad wraps his arms around me again.

"It'll be over soon," he whispers in a way that only I can hear.

"He know where to go when he needs to relieve himself?" the man asks and Dad nods. "Okay, follow me. I'll even give you some fresh meat at a price for him to eat. Better not be a noisy one, don't want the wrong people to get interested."

Dad nods and grabs the rope, he gives in a firm tug and I nod. I'm supposed to follow him. The man leads us into the barn and I know that there are a dozen places where I could hide in here. Who knew a place this big would even be here?

"This one looks a lot like you," the man says and I turn to Dad not understanding. He laughs awkwardly and then ties me to a wooden beam. "Okay. He'll be safe whilst you pay me," the man says, "Have you brought your checkbook?" he asks and Dad nods. I feel scared. How much do dragon lodgings cost?

…

….

Somehow, with some meat in my belly and being able to see the stars, I fell asleep. Now though, my anxiety is acting up and I feel trapped. Have I become claustrophobic. I try to move forwards but something is covering me. A blanket? I look around before seeing that it's a wing from another dragon. I look up and see there to be a dragon with scales of a variety of shades of brown sleeping next to me. He opens his eye as I stare at him. He's nearly three times the size of me. What the hell is this?

**End of Chapter Three**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two

Hopewords, Kaname671


	4. Chapter 4 - A Father's History

**AN: **This chapter is one long scene but I hope you enjoy. Argh, so frustrated with the entire Skip Beat community but mainly these people reporting copyright strikes. It seems that some people think they are so special that the manga is only made for them and telling other people not to share it outside of private groups. If you guys have any idea where to find it, please let me know through PM and that would be most appreciated. I'll even write up to a 500 word Skip Beat piece just for you when the next chapter comes out.

**Chapter Four – A Father's History**

My body is frozen as I look up at the gigantic dragon. I didn't even know that other dragons existed. I start panicking and see smoke coming out of my nostrils. Does that mean that I can br- No. I don't want to think about that. I didn't know there were other dragons. This huge one could kill me without a second thought unless I submit to them but what does a dominant dragon do? I pull back whining unwillingly as I stare at the massive creature.

"I'm sorry," I apologize through a series of whines that are starting to sound more natural to me now. That's a bad thing, though, right? It's bad that I'm becoming used to hearing a dragon voice and dragon language. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that someone else was - I didn't know that this space was yours. I'll leave. I'm sorry," I bow my head trying to show that I mean no harm but the next thing I hear puts me into shock.

"Kuon, calm down, okay? You're still safe. It's me." I blink. The dragon is speaking in the same language that I am but somehow I can hear Dad's voice. As I raise my head, I see that the dragon has Dad's eyes. I tilt my head to the side. "I should have told you this when you were younger but I wasn't sure how you would handle it?"

"That my own father is a dragon?" I ask as I try to calm myself down, I look up at Dad. He's huge and…a dragon. I didn't think that was possible but then again, I didn't know that dragons were actually real until I turned into one myself. "Yes, it would have been a huge shock to me as a kid but it wouldn't have made that much of a difference. You've always been my hero. I probably would have thought it was a cool trick or something but I would have always kept it secret." I freeze and stare at him. Have I only been half human all of this time? I knew something wasn't right with Dad's eating habits. "How did you become human?" I ask him and Dad laughs weakly.

"You mean, how did I become a dragon?" he asks and I don't know what to believe any more. Dragons and fairies seemed impossibilities to me before. "I was born as a human. I was cursed to be a dragon, this was before you were born during that period in which no record could be found of my acting history. I didn't know that it was going to be genetically passed down to you."

"Was _I_ born as a dragon?" I have to ask and Dad shakes his head.

"I can't say that you haven't carried at least some dragon DNA since your birth but you've lived life up to this point as mostly human. You do have some fairy blood in you too," he tells me and I'm even more confused. I was cursed to be a dragon by a fairy despite how I might be part-fairy myself. I don't understand.

Dad closes his eyes as if he's going to start meditating and I see his body shrink and transform into the human Kuu Hizuri, the one I'm familiar with. Dad comes over to me and gently places a hand on my snout. "You have to trust me okay?" he asks and I nod. I know Dad is one person I can trust to always be looking out for my best interests. Dad goes to what looks like a treasure chest and opens it with a key he has with him before pulling out a large chain. He comes over to me and slips it over my head, it's large enough so he can do that. I try to tap it with my paw before I can feel it seeming to burn into my skin or my scales. It hurts but Dad tries soothing me by rubbing my head. "I know it's painful at first."

"It hurts," I tell him not mentioning the crippling agony I'm feeling but as I say those words, I hear them repeated in Japanese through the echoes. Am I actually speaking a human language again? "What is this?" I ask as the burning stops. "Kyoko? Is Kyoko okay? Do you know if she's okay?"

"As long as she sticks with the plan then she'll be okay," Dad tells me. "We'll work on turning you back to a human but I don't have the skills myself. It took months for me to become human again after my first transformation. That was over twenty-five years ago."

"Can you tell me what the hell is going on?" I ask, my voice is sharp out of frustration but I know that Dad would never intentionally harm me.

Dad goes to the side to get me a large bucket of water to drink. This isn't going to take away my humanity, right? It's not magic water. No. Dad wouldn't do that to me. "You're heir to the fairy kingdom," Dad tells me as he sits opposite me on the cold ground. I look down at him but then look away nervously.

"I'm not the heir to the fairy kingdom. That was just a joke I made to Kyoko when we were kids," I tell him but I see that Dad isn't messing with me. "Does that make you a king?"

"I'm considered as vermin, a disease to some of them," Dad tells me and I blink, turning my head to the side. He just turned back from a gigantic dragon and they consider him low-class. "Your mother is a princess, she's the one who carries the fairy blood. I'm just a mortal who fell in love with her. Your maternal grandmother is half fairy and her mother was from the fairy kingdom, a fallen queen of the fairy kingdom."

I stare at him. It's true that I look a bit more like my mother than my father. I share the same hair color and eye color as Mom but Dad isn't fully Japanese either, My grandmother on his side is an American, I thought that he just carried traits that she had. I would have wanted to look a bit more like my father but apparently my fairy DNA took precedence.

"I dyed my hair blond when I saw the way you looked to avoid people from digging into our family's past. Your mother is half fairy. It took a long time but your great grandmother only wanted to carry on a pure blood fairy line. That's why you had limited contact with your maternal grandfather, he was driven away from your mother and grandmother once your great grandmother found out he was a human."

"And what about you?" I ask Dad. Obviously Dad wasn't a fairy so how did being human affect the way that he and Mom found romance and got married.

Dad sighs heavily, "I was born as fully human and that meant that there was an argument in the family. I loved your mother even after she told me the truth about her background. Your grandfather supported me and accepted me immediately once he knew this. All Julienna wanted was someone who could accept both sides of her, would keep her safe, and would love her. She wanted to live as a human and I was happy to help her. However, I was seen by other members of the family as a potential threat. As I started to get more support from the family and Julie announced her plans to move away with me, that's when I angered her grandmother."

Dad looks away, I have the feeling that this part of the story is hard for him.

"Your great grandmother wanted to prove to Julie that no human could truly love her or do the things that I was telling everyone I'd do for her. She wanted to prove that every human would hate fairies once she knew the truth about them. She turned me into a dragon to prove a point. I refused even then to leave and I never once hated your mother. She fled with me, sacrificing a lot by staying by my side and making sure I was hidden. I retired from acting for a short time which I was in that condition and couldn't even communicate with your mother for months. Still, she didn't leave my side without knowing that I'd be safe."

I see Dad take deep breaths as he relives what is obviously a very painful part of his life. I share that type of loss. People have different circumstances, different limits to how much of a strange reality they can face.

"With your mother's unconditional love and the sacrifices she made, she helped me learn how to live the majority of my life as a human despite parts of me that would always remain like a dragon such as my appetite and metabolism. Whilst fairies eat only by choice, dragons have to eat a lot to survive. I am considered by a lot of fairies as vermin due to the dragon blood that flows through me but you're different. There should be a crime in turning someone of your status into a dragon or at least awakening that part of you."

"When you were born, we could tell from just looking at you as a newborn that you were born with fairy traits. We still weren't sure how my curse would affect you or if it would but we wanted to make sure to take care of you. Your fairy side didn't need to be overfed but your dragon side, if that existed, needed a lot of food. Your mother never knew much about cooking because she had never needed to know but the fear that your dragon side was still there and if you didn't eat enough you would get very weak, it's the reason she force fed you as much as she did. I was concerned for the same reason and guilty that it would be because of me that you would suffer so I never stopped her."

I take a look at him again and bow my head. "You wanted to keep me away from you after Rick died, you knew that I was feeling pain and you wanted to make sure I was able to live life without the curse hurting me." It makes sense now. I always thought that they did it because it was more convenient for them or that I had screwed everything up and they no longer loved me but they were trying to keep me away from this curse.

"I wanted you there but if you had turned into a dragon at sixteen then you might not have been able to protect yourself," Dad says before putting a hand on my snout again. "I am so so sorry Kuon. I never wanted this life for you. I wish that you had never known about this. If there's anything you need."

"Kyoko," I tell him and Dad opens his mouth not knowing what to say. "She's seen me like this. I know that she accepts me like this. I want to be with her. You were able to be with Mom. I'm sure that if Kyoko knew all of this she'd accept it."

Dad nervously nods, he looks to me and I'm not sure how much he trusts in those words and the woman I love but he nods willingly. "If she hurts you," Dad says but I look at him without hesitation.

"She won't," I promise him. "I know that she won't."

**End of Chapter Four**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Three

H-Nala, Kaname671


	5. Chapter 5 - A Wife's Devotion

**AN: **I fully understand that people don't want to get sued but when I hear people say that only private Facebook pages with exclusive member lists should get the manga, it's just very disheartening. It's a very 'You can't sit with us" vibe.

**Chapter Five – A Wife's Devotion**

I look at the directions that I was given again. I don't want to be followed, I don't want for him to know that I'm gone or where I'm gone. I make my way to what looks like a large barn and take a deep breath in. I nervously open the large doors where I see Father standing there. I run over to him and wrap my arms around him, tears coating my cheeks.

My breath catches in my chest as I hear a voice I would know anywhere, "Kyoko?" I gasp and look around in the darkness. Where is he? I can understand him. Does that mean that he's turned back to being a human.

"Kuon, sweetheart," I whisper as I wrap an arm around myself. I just need to make sure that he's okay. I hear the sound of his claws against the dirt and then I look up and see the dragon version of Kuon. I try to keep calm but I can't stop myself from running over to him and wrapping my arms around his neck, pushing my head into his scales. I hear him give a sigh of relief. "Kuon," I whisper as I feel his scales upon my face. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that he's a dragon when it comes to how much I love him. "Oh my god, sweetheart." I back away and place one hand on each side of his snout, I make sure to maintain eye contact with him. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm so thankful that you're all right."

"Dad gave me this chain," Kuon says in Japanese before touching a chain around his neck with his claw. "It's used so I can communicate."

I slip my hand over the precious item. At least I'm hearing him speak even if it is through the use of magic. I throw my arms around his neck as well and can feel the warmth from his chest and those more relaxed breaths. "I love you. I love you." I repeat. He has to know that. "I didn't want to leave you but I just want you to be safe," I turn to Father with my arms still securely around Kuon. "He _is_ safe isn't he."

"When he's here he is, this place has enchantments which protect dragons."

I nod slowly before rushing back for a bag that I brought. "I'm sorry," I smile weakly to him. "I only brought chicken today. I'll remember to bring beef the next time I see you. You seemed to really enjoy the steaks. I'll have to learn how much you need to eat. I don't know anything about dragons," I try to apologize. I see him look hungrily at the chicken, he even sniffs the blood. I think this means that dragons prefer raw meat to cooked, I'll have to make a note of that.

He looks to me with shame in his eyes and then attempts to pick the chicken up with his claw. It's hard for him and he seems to be doing this more uncomfortable manner of eating for him for my benefit. I crouch down beside him. He has to eat differently. He's been cursed to be a beast but he's still Kuon. I just need to learn how to take care of him. He tries again to pick this chicken up but this time he accidentally rolls it away from him. I grab it and place it back down in front of him. He bows his head sadly and my heart twists. He _needs_ to eat.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes and I really don't want to hear that. He can't help what he has to do. "I have to ea-" he begins but I don't want to hear it. Of course he has to eat the chicken in a similar way to how he ate the beef.

"Don't be sorry. I know that it's probably easier to eat with just your teeth. I'm just trying to learn a little bit more about dragons. I'll learn," I try to promise him and I see him move forwards. He picks the chicken up with his teeth before throwing it back into his mouth. I smile as I watch him. At least he's eating.

As he finishes the second chicken, I see the blood on his mouth and grab the damp towel I brought with me and start to clean it off of him. He's always taken care of me. Now it's my turn to take care of him. I look into his eyes. "I don't know how long I get to stay with you this time but I want to see you as much as possible," I tell him and kiss the end of his snout. It feels better to kiss part of him than deprive myself of these intimate moments.

"I know that you must hate this body," I tell him and he nods, "but you are such a gorgeous dragon," I tell him and he tilts his head to the side. "I mean it. You're beautiful. Kuon, I love you. I will never stop loving you."

Father takes a step forwards, "There are a couple of spells that Julie can cast when she arrives if you want to stay with him. However, I think that you remaining as you are might be too dangerous for the both of you."

I freeze before nodding, "I will become a dragon too if it means stay-"

"No. That's not what I meant," Father tells me, "but you're right. Your outside appearance has to change. We can temporarily grant you the powers necessary to take care of him but you can't remain as Kyoko Hizuri. Do you remember when you were interviewed after Dark Moon finished?" he asks. I nod. It was years ago but I remember the type of appearance Kijima had me take on. "We'll have to temporarily change your face though. Julie will have to give you a new identity."

I look at Father and then at Kuon. "Of course," I smile. "As long as I get to be with Kuon, I will fully trust the two of you."

"Kyoko," Kuon protests like I felt he would. "You don't have to do this."

"Why would I not want to do this?" I ask before giving him a challenging look that I always do when I want to make him truly think of what's happening. "Wouldn't you do it for me?" Kuon freezes before he nods. "So, there's no argument. Can you teach me how to take care of him?" I ask Father. I have the belief that somehow he can teach me all that I need to know.

KyKuKyKu

As morning light begins to flood the barn, I look to Kyoko. She remained here but she doesn't seem to have led that fairy imposter here. She's fallen asleep and Dad helped me prop her up against my body where I can cover her with my wing and keep her warm. Kyoko moves in her sleep and I can tell by her expression that she's having a nightmare. I hate that I can't help her as I did before but I push my snout to the side of her cheek and take slow breaths not to wake her.

"Kuon," she murmurs in her sleep, "please be okay." She reaches out and absentmindedly grabs onto my claw. I freeze as she does so. Is that going to wake her up. I watch her eyelids flicker and she looks up drowsily. She looks to her hand but instead of pulling away, she spreads it over my foot, smiling. She looks up as if to push a blanket away but sees my wing covering her. She gently guides it closer to her. "Tell me if I pull too hard," she says before looking up at me. I bow my head sadly but she kisses the side of my snout. "Are you feeling okay, my prince?" she asks and I nod.

Kyoko turns so that she's resting even closer to me. "Your body's warm," she comments. She reaches up to gently stroke the side of my head. I purr before my eyes widen, I hadn't meant to do that. I stare at Kyoko and she laughs at the sound. "So cute," she yawns again.

"Are you okay?" I ask her and she blinks up at me. "Maybe you should have slept on my belly. I know that the floor must be uncomfortable."

"Why?" she asks as she looks at my wing and smiles, "I had a good night sleep right here," she gets to her feet and then turns to me. She places her hands on my snout again and looks me in the eyes. "Thanks for keeping me warm again, Corn." I stare at her before bowing my head.

"I'm not Corn any longer," I tell her and she wraps her arms around my neck, I let my head rest gently on her shoulder. "_He_ is."

Kyoko frowns. She looks over to where Dad is getting some more water for me. "Listen carefully to me. _You_ and you alone are Kuon Hizuri, my Corn. It doesn't matter what shape or form you're in. You are my husband, my love, my prince. You can never be replaced. Do you understand?"

I look at her again and nod. I _do_ understand her. I hear another sound and look to where it came from. I see Mom there and back away nervously. Kyoko tries to steady me. I know in her brain she's thinking of a horse or a cow but she's trying to think of me as my human counterpart too. Mom comes over to me with a cloth and as she washes my face with it, I can feel relief from the pain of having my form changed.

"I'm so sorry," she whispers and I cock my head to the side. "This is all my fault. I didn't know the curse would carry to you. I am so sorry, Kuon." I bow my head and she hugs me, brining her body closer to mine. "This wasn't supposed to happen to you."

"It's not your fault," Dad tells her and Julie shakes her head.

"Not this again," she argues as she turns to Dad. "Do you even remember what you were saying at the time my grandmother cursed you. You were talking about taking me away to where I wanted to be, making sure to keep the secret of my mother's origin, telling me that none of it changed how you felt about me, you still loved me, wanted to marry me, and start a life together. During your own curse, you always showed me how deeply you loved me. I hate to admit it but when you turned back into your human self, I was scared that you would hate me and you had stayed with me because you needed to be safe. I was ready to hear that you never wanted to see me again but you still promised me a life, you still promised me love. You even asked if I could ever see you as human again. I've always seen you as my loving, doting, Kuu. And then you gave me the greatest treasures of all. A marriage, a husband, and our gorgeous son who is _still_ gorgeous."

"How could I hate you?" Dad asks and Mom looks at him and raises an eyebrow. "You sacrificed for me, for me a man still cursed with dragon blood."

"Which you were cursed with for loving me. You made the biggest sacrifices," Mom argues before looking at me. "Now we take care of our little boy or….hopefully," Mom turns to Kyoko who immediately nods and then bows in a formal manner.

"I want to take care of him, help him, protect him. Please teach me the proper way in which to help and take care of Kuon." I can hear in her voice that she's thinking of me as the most important part of her life despite this form. "Please help me do it."

I look at Kyoko, "You do realize that outside of us Hizuris and my mother's family, there is only one other person who knows that I have dragon blood. Only one other person who can help us."

Kyoko turns to me and looks shocked. "Do you mean the president?" she asks and I nod. She looks to Father. I'm not surprised and yet she is. I didn't know this about myself but Boss is Dad's main confidant. I am actually grateful he kept this a secret even from myself.

Kyoko looks at Dad concerned, "Do you really think you can trust hi-"

"I would hope so," I hear a weak laugh and my eyes widen as Lory Takarada walks over to Kuon. He nods solemnly. "We've had precautions set up since your conception. Now it's time to use them."

**End of Chapter Five**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Four

Guest, Kaname671


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